Apparatus for lubricationg of hot extruding of metal ingots



Janl 21, 1964 w. BRUTSCH EI'AL 3,118,540

APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATION OF HOT EXTRUDING OF METAL INGOTS Filed April 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 He/hz Ros/roman By l/ve/r affomeys MMM Jan. 21, 1964 w. BRUTSCH ETAL 3,118,540

APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATION 0F HOT EXTRUDING OF METAL INGOTS Filed April 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I 1 L. 3 is; r" 4a Mme/Wars l/W/he/m B/U/sch Gdnf/ver Busch Heinz fias/rof/ven 5y fhe/i a/lomeys United States Patent 3,118,540 APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATION 0F HOT EXTRUDENG 0F METAL INGOTS Wiihelm Briitsch, Immigrath, Giinther Busch, Langenfeld- Immigrath, and Heinz Roskothen, Monheim, Germany, assignors to Kronprinz Aktiengeselisehaft, Salinger:- Ohiigs, Germany, a company of Germany Filed Apr. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 105,799 Claims priority, application Germany Apr. 26, 1960 3 Claims. (Cl. 2071) This invention relates to apparatus for use in continuous casting of metal ingots and more particularly hot continuous casting of ingots made of steel or other metals.

It has heretofore been known to place lubricating means, such as glass, slag or clay below as well as above the ingot set into the container. The lubricating means placed below the ingot serves the purpose of producing, during the continuous casting process, layers of lubricants between the mandrel penetrating the ingot and the inner surface of the ingot as well as between the matrix and ingot. It is the purpose of the lubricating means placed above the ingot to effect additional lubrication, especially between the mandrel and inner surface of the ingot, at the end of the casting process.

Up to now lubricating means consisting of inlays, for example, plates of glass or formed bodies containing glass were used in practice. It was also suggested to use glass or material of a similarly acting characteristic in powder form, however no practical, useful form of applying this thought was known. In the use of powdered lubricating means, especially powdered glass, difiiculties are encountered during the hot continuous casting process in conducting the powder, i.e. the formed melt of the lubricating means, in even distribution to the surfaces which are to be lubricated during the casting process and to prevent the loss of part of the lubricating means through the bore of the ingot and the matrix opening.

According to the invention these difliculties are overcome by using built-in closure elements below and above the ingot which limit or close spaces serving to receive the lubricating means and which elements during casting are deformed and destroyed.

In a preferred form, a closure element for the lower lubricant space consists of a cover or stopper closing the matrix opening. In case a cover is used, such cover may assume the shape of the matrix. The cover or stopper may consist of metal or non-metallic material such as synthetic material, impregnated cardboard or asbestos. The cover or stopper serving as this lubrication means closure element for the lower space must fulfill the purpose of keeping the lower lubrication space closed until the mandrel penetrates the matrix. The limiting element for the upper lubricant space in accordance with the invention has the form of a ring mounted on the upper surface of the ingot and has a diameter which, for practical reasons, correspondings to the outside diameter of the in ot and whose inside diameter is substantially larger than the outside diameter of the mandrel. This creates an upper space for lubrication means between the inside surface of the ring-like closure element and the mandrel and in which space lubricating means in sufficient quantities may be placed.

The ring serving as closure or limiting element to form the upper space for lubrication means consists of a type of material, for instance, metal or non-metal such as asbestos, which during the casting process is more easily deformable than the ingot. During the casting process such a ring, while undergoing a reduction of its inside diameter, will ultimately become compressed thereby reducing the voiume of the space containing the lubrication means, forc- "ice ing the lubricating means between the mandrel and the inner surface of the hollow ingot and resulting therefore in continuous good lubrication of the inner surface of the ingot and the mandrel from the beginning of the casting process to its end.

The wear and tear of the extrusion die is also reduced by the existence of the ring and lubrication means supply. A final advantageous result lies in the reduction of extrusion scrap.

An example of using the invention is demonstrated in the drawing in two figures showing an upright press with glass powder as lubricating means.

FIGURE 1 shows the beginning and FIGURE 2 the end of the casting process.

The hollow container 1 in which the ingot 4 to be extruded is placed rests on the matrix 6. Before placing the ingot 4 in the container the opening of the bottom of the matrix is closed by means of a cover 7. Thereupon a measured amount of glass powder or similar lubricating material is placed in the container. The ingot 4 is thereupon placed in the container and rests upon the glass powder bed 5. During the extrusion of the pipe through the matrix, the bed 5 forms a lubrication supply for the outside of the article being extruded.

Before introducing the mandrel 3 a deformable metallic ring 8 is laid upon the upper surface of the ingot 4. After starting the inserting movement of mandrel 3 a measured amount 9 of the glass powder or similar lubrication substance is put into the space formed by the inner circumferential surface of the ring 8 and the mandrel 3.

During the actual extrusion process the ring 8 is impressed by the extrusion ram 2 thus reducing the inside diameter of the ring and displacing the glass powder in the space 10 between mandrel 3 and the inner surface of ingot 4. At the end of the extrusion process there remains extruded waste 4a in the container 1 and the flattened metallic ring 8a as well as the remainder of the molten glass. The product extruded is marked 11.

If, as heretofore described, one does not employ a powder-like lubricating means but compact forms, for instance, plates of glass, then the manner of applying the lubricating means into the upper space for lubricating means must be changed by placing a lubrication means ring within the ring-like element 8 resting upon the top face of the ingot, before inserting the mandrel into the ingot.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for lubricating tubular ingots throughout the extrusion cycle thereof comprising a container having a bore therethrough, a temporary closure at one end of the bore, powdered lubricant covering the temporary closure and extending across the bore at said one end thereof, the powdered lubricant seating one end of a tubular ingot disposed within the bore of said container, a ring seated on the other end of the tubular ingot, said ring being of a material more easily deformable than the material of the tubular ingot, the outer diameter of the ring being generally the same as the outside diameter of the ingot, the inner radius of the ring being substantially greater than the radius of the bore of the tubular ingot whereby an annular area is provided at said other end of said tubular ingot for the reception of a further quantity of powdered lubricant.

2. Means for lubricating tubular ingots throughout the extrusion cycle thereof comprising an upright container having a vertically disposed bore therethrough, a tem porary closure at the bottom of the vertically disposed bore, powdered lubricant covering the temporary closure and extending across the bore adjacent the bottom thereof, the powdered lubricant seating a tubular ingot having generally fiat top and bottom surfaces upright Within the container, a ring seated on the generally fiat top surface Q3 of the tubular ingot, said ring being of a material more easily deformable than the material of the tubular ingot, the outer diameter of the ring being generally the same as the outside diameter of the tubular ingot, thetinner radius of the ring being substantially greater than the radius of the bore of the tubular ingot whereby the inner surface of the ring cooperates with a portion of the top surface of the ingot to define thereby an annular area for the reception of a further quantity of powdered lubricant.

3. In an upright press for the extrusion of metal tubes from tubular ingots by means of a plunged mandrel type extrusion ram in which the plunger mandrel depends from the extrusion ram into the bore of the tubular ingot, the improvement comprising; a container having a vertical bore therethrough adapted to receive therein an upright tubular ingot, a ring adapted to be received upon the upper end of the tubular ingot within the vertical bore of said container, said ring having annular inner and outer side wall surfaces and being formed of a material more easily deformable than the material of the tubular ingot, the 2 diameter of the annular outer side Wall surface of the ring being generally the same as the outer diameter of the tubular ingot, the radius of the annular inner side wall surface of the ring being substantially greater than the radius of the bore of the tubular ingot, the inner side wall surface of the ring and that portion of the upper end of the tubular ingot lying radially inwardly of said inner side wall surface defining therebetween an annular area for the reception of a powdered lubricant for lubricating the surface between the bore of the tubular ingot and the plunger mandrel of the extrusion ram during extrusion of the tubular ingot.

References (Zited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. MEANS FOR LUBRICATING TUBULAR INGOTS THROUGHOUT THE EXTRUSION CYCLE THEREOF COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH, A TEMPORARY CLOSURE AT ONE END OF THE BORE, POWDERED LUBRICANT COVERING THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE BORE AT SAID ONE END THEREOF, THE POWDERED LUBRICANT SEATING ONE END OF A TUBULAR INGOT DISPOSED WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID CONTAINER, A RING SEATED ON THE OTHER END OF THE TUBULAR INGOT, SAID RING BEING OF A MATERIAL MORE EASILY DEFORMABLE THAN THE MATERIAL OF THE 